The Place Is Too Small

The Place Is Too Small

2 Kings 6:1-6

Introduction

There comes a moment in every believer's life, in every ministry, and in every congregation when we must honestly assess where we are and where God is calling us to go. Sometimes we find ourselves in seasons of growth that demand expansion, and other times we discover that we've lost something precious along the way. The story we find in 2 Kings 6:1-6 speaks directly to both of these realities.

The sons of the prophets came to Elisha with a simple but profound observation: "The place where we dwell with you is too small for us." This wasn't a complaint about their physical accommodations, but rather a recognition that God had been working among them, increasing their numbers and expanding their influence. Growth had created a beautiful problem that required a faithful response.

Yet as we'll see in this passage, even in the midst of doing God's work and building for His kingdom, we can encounter moments where we lose our spiritual cutting edge. The very process of building, serving, and expanding can sometimes lead us to a place where we realize the power that once drove us forward has somehow slipped away.

Today, we'll explore three essential truths from this remarkable passage that speak to our individual lives and our collective mission as the body of Christ.

I. When God Increases, We Must Expand

"And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, 'See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.' So he answered, 'Go.'" (2 Kings 6:1-2)

The sons of the prophets were not casual believers or spiritual dilettantes. These were men who had dedicated their lives to God, studying the Scriptures with intensity, practicing prophecy with devotion, and submitting themselves to be discipled by one of the greatest prophets in Israel's history. They understood that spiritual growth requires both personal commitment and communal investment.

As the Word of God went into these men, something beautiful and inevitable happened: they began to increase numerically. This is always the pattern when God's people take His Word seriously. When we genuinely engage with Scripture, when we allow it to transform our hearts and minds, when we live out its principles in our daily lives, growth becomes not just possible but inevitable.

But growth creates responsibility. These men recognized that their expansion wasn't just about numbers, but about effectiveness. They weren't content to simply crowd into an inadequate space and call it faithfulness. They understood that being good stewards of God's blessing meant taking practical steps to accommodate the growth He was providing.

This principle applies to every area of our spiritual lives. When God blesses our marriages, we must expand our capacity to love and serve each other. When He increases our families, we must grow in wisdom and patience. When He enlarges our ministries, we must develop new skills and structures to handle the responsibility effectively.

The sons of the prophets didn't wait for someone else to solve their problem. They took initiative, presented a plan, and were ready to do the work themselves. They said, "Let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there." This wasn't about finding someone else to build for them; this was about rolling up their sleeves and participating in the solution.

Notice that Elisha's response was immediate and affirmative: "Go." When God's people recognize legitimate needs and present reasonable plans to address them, spiritual leadership should be quick to provide support and encouragement. Sometimes the greatest gift a leader can give is simply the permission and blessing to move forward.

II. One Person's Call Can Constitute God's Direction

"Then one said, 'Please consent to go with your servants.' And he answered, 'I will go.'" (2 Kings 6:3)

In our statistics-driven world, we often make the mistake of believing that God only moves when the numbers are impressive. We wait for overwhelming consensus, for undeniable signs, for massive movements before we're willing to acknowledge that God might be calling us to action. But this passage teaches us a profound truth: the request of even one person can constitute a call from God.

When one of the sons of the prophets asked Elisha to come with them, it wasn't because the entire group had voted or because there was some desperate need that required the prophet's presence. It was simply one person expressing a desire for Elisha's companionship and participation in their project. And remarkably, Elisha agreed to go.

This challenges us to never succumb to what we might call "the scourge of statistics," where we analyze what we will do and where we will go based purely on numbers. The apostle Philip experienced this same principle in Acts 8. He was involved in a huge revival in Samaria, seeing incredible results and touching hundreds of lives. Yet when the Spirit called him away to minister to just one man in the desert, Philip obeyed without hesitation.